In the middle of the Austin's longest drought since the 1950's it has been a losing battle to try and save the yard...it's fried. Water restrictions are in place and are being enforced, and so we have retreated to our back deck overlooking the valley and tried to make it an oasis against the never ending heat. Last weekend, we actually had a very good rain and the weather has cooled to the semi-tolerable 70's in the mornings so I have had the pleasure of enjoying morning coffee while working outside after my morning run. I am enjoying the good life in Austin Texas and I hope you are having a good day!
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Russell-looks like a wonderful view to inspire you. Have a great day!
Russell I think I could handle moving into your office...you got any room left?
It is lovely, no doubt 'bout it, but I know you miss us at the office. Don't you????
I love the picture and now that my sunflowers are blooming, you should take a picture of them too! The deck garden and trees still look good but the yard is crunchy!
Russell - I don't have much of a green thumb, so your view is a welcome relief to me. This drought has beat my yard to a pulp and next year I have a feeling I'll be battling the critters and the dead grass/shrubs/trees/plants. The rain did have one great side effect - my weeds grew high enough that they needed mowing. My mower was relieved to take its thrid tour of the yard this summer (and one of those was mostly designed to pick up leaves).
Nice flowers, I am like Matt, not much of a green thumb. Or maybe it is because I forget to water them. Enjoy your view!
If you look really close in the background there are two squirrels habeebiling, along with an assortment of birds.What a pleasant view.
Ok Russell... name the plants and their family starting from left to right..
Russell, despite the rain last weekend, Austin still needs more and hopefully the fall will see some activity. I read that Lake Travis is down 35 FEET! Amazing!
Morning Russell, obviously you know how make best of having to work. We have had water restrictions for over a year and they recently relaxed somewhat. I'm a hop skip and jump from Lake Lanier.
Is that a fountain you have on the deck? Beautiful colors form the flora and the nice relaxing sound of the water, ahhhh.....
Nice office. I am working in FT Worth next two weeks. My first local project in 3 years. Nice to sleep in my own bed at night for a change.In October I'm off to Bangladesh. Definately a change of scenery.
Enjoy a great day brother,
Keep writing
BG
Cindy We are fortunate to live in such a beautiful area (even with the current drought!)
Bill We always have room for a great guy like you, come on down!
ANNE WOW, I am so glad to see you here and checking out my blog and Active Rain again! Thanks and come back soon!
Matt You are cracking me up, I do not have a green thumb either but my wife sure does and has managed to create a nice garden area out back along the back deck away from the ravenous deer and the massive heat we have had to endure. I am also ok with only mowing the lawn "once in a while"
Dear Russell,
Nice deck/office! I love the blooming bougainvilleas! Sadly mine don't look this good right now. Who is the handsome guy on the computer??
;)
Russell: One day I will be typing a comment on your blog from my backyard deck, on a gloriously beautiful day. That's about ten settlements away. :) Love the flowers!
Thanks for sharing your little piece of Eden with us. One question: how do you keep the squirrels out of the bird feeder?
Russell...I'll think of you on this deck as I battle MoPac to far-north Austin every morning:-)
Russel, you have a great office...and it is called your "green" office...?
Russell - nice office, very colorful and looks comfortable. :-)
With a setting like that, I think I could get some work done!
Beautiful office my friend!
Mattie Okay...here are your sunflowers, they are so big that they are bending the stalks!
I really love them and you always manage to have a nice crop!
Jen Thanks for dropping by and as I mentioned earlier my wife and daughter have the green thumb thing going on!
Mark HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH...Oh I cannot breath!
Buster You crack me up and I have NO IDEA what's planted out there, I just know it's the only thing besides the trees at our house that have survived!
Jeannette Oh man...I knew the lake was down but 35 feet is like three and a half stories! Wow!
Cynthia Funny you should mention it but I do try and enjoy myself whether at work or play! The fountain is one of those small versions that is nice for the sound and the birds drop by on a regular basis! Yeah...we have it pretty good in Austin, Texas!
Betina Yes we have been fortunate to keep everything thriving in this heat and thanks for the compliment, flattery will get you anything you want! Have a good evening my friend!
Chris Ann That's okay, I enjoy being that busy and had so much work during the summer that I rarely had time to do much of anything else! You will get there soon!
Susanne After years pf battling Fred & Ethel we found some feeders that have spring loaded perches. The squirrels are too heavy and slip off but the birds weight is fine! Best backyard investment in a long time!
Russell, Your brother Mark says the the squirrels in the background are habeebiling, and if that means they are plotting to take over the enitre world (Planet of the Squirrels) then I agree because I can't keep those sorry sons out of my attic.
Liz
Very nice. That looks like a great place to work. I could get motivated there =)
Nick I did not mean to rub it in and to tell the truth...I am out in our traffic more than I like too!
Rebecca HA HAAA! That is a great line and I should use it!
Brad Hey my friend, thanks for stopping by. We are living the good life in Austin Texas!
Craig Thanks a lot but on some days it's so nice that the mind will wander!
LIZ You are back and I am so glad to see you! My brother and the squirrels??? That's a whole different story. However at our house we only have a couple and though I don't know why...I am glad it's JUST a couple!
WELCOME BACK!
Lisa I do most of the time and when the heat subsides it's a great place. Sometimes though it's so serene that I just goof off a bit enjoying the view and ambience!
Russell,
Great way to conduct business..you can remain calm, serene in your dialog with customers as you are in the perfect setting! I think Rebecca has something: you have a "green" office and definitely following the teachings of Austin!!
Now that I know you are in relative comfort, I probably will not be as sympathetic when you talk about working all the time!
Dorie I think we all need some serenity on our daily business lives and you are right abut the green look for Austin! Yet another great reason to be in the best city in Texas!
Scott HA HAAAA As you know, it's not always Zen and Roses!
Thanks for all the comments, this picture is of my desk at work and though I really enjoy the energy and networking at my office, there is quite a difference...
Oh yes! There sure is a difference! I'd go for the deck in a heartbeat!!!!!
Debi
It looks very relaxing, perhaps too much so. I find with the home office there are always many distractions, which isn't all bad.
Longest drought since the 1950s, huh? Maybe that drought is what convinced my wise old grandmother to start practicing xeriscaping (about 30 years before xeriscaping was a word). She has the most beautiful yard full of cactus and succulent blooms that drew in birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. Hummingbirds were her favorites. I've continued her xeriscaping tradition.
Debi I do enjoy the quiet and solitude when I have to concentrate but O also like the buzz in my office because we have a lot of positive business interaction among my associates!
Georgina Well you are certainly right there, sometimes it is just way to relaxing. Of course you live in a place that is so beautiful that I would have a hard time ever going to work!
Russel You Grandmother was way ahead of her time and we do a lot more xeriscaping and other native landscaping these day. I love that flower but maybe it's more tropical than we can handle here, deep in the heart of Texas! Nice photo my friend!
Hi Russell-Now that is what I call working from home. I work from home but your view is so much nicer than mine and the best part it is outdoors. It doesn't get much better than that. Definitely a beautiful view there on the deck. Thank you for sharing that beautiful view. <SMILE>
Hi there. thanks for showing my sunflowers...there are twice as many today and they are so cool looking!
Russell I'd be too busy caring for the flowers, but my office does overlook our backyard and woods Karen
Hello Russel,
Your colorful view from your deck it a real treat. On the other hand, your interior office looks like most of ours...doesn't it make you wonder why we work like this?
I love your fresh air office, that's the best kind! Thanks for dropping by my blog tonight.
Sharon Thanks so much for dropping by and enjoying our view, I should try and get a panoramic shot because we back up and a wooded valley and it's a 180 degree spectacle!
Mattie Thanks for planting them they are nice to look at every day!
Karen I am spoiled with a similar view and feel very fortunate. I am also lucky that my wife and daughter take care of the plants and flowers!
Linda Thanks for your comment, I started laughing at the remark that our offices are so similar!
HI Janna I appreciate your comment and I also need to visit your blog again and subscribe!
What a beautiful place to work, despite the heat that you have been experiencing.
Russell, it looks so comfortable out there. No wonder you seem to be slacking as far as posting...Please remind your readers that the next Architecture at the Umlauf event is coming soon!
Christine You are so right, we have actually had the second hottest summer on record but lately some rain to cool us down a bit! thaks for stopping by!
Scott I do sometimes day dream when out in the back and yes, I will post about the next event at the Umlauf soon!
Hey Russell, I should have never complained about the lack of water...this is the first day in 2 weeks it has not rained here in my part of GA. I'm frizzy & moldy!
Lots of people flooded out in the lower part, very sad :(
Cynthia,I have seen the dramatic rainfall in your area and it's sad to see that so many have suffered. Though we are still in a bad drought situation,some welcome rain has fallen recently. I am cracking up at your description and thanks for stopping by!
What a gorgeous place to work!! I can just see us sitting at that table, wine glasses in hand, you and your lovely wife telling me all about your lives. Jason Crouch and his wife there too. I am hand and hand with Antonio Banderas.... oops! I guess the daydream got away from me!
Russell, well at least the flowering plants you DO have that are alive look wonderful. Hang in there with the Austin drought....
Howdy there Russell
You sure do a mighty fine office at home, I sure don't blame you at tall, for prefer-en to work from there. My friend, sorry I ain't been by to visit, your posts of late. Was not sure where you had been post-en them. So I came by your blog itsself. I'll keep a better eye out for your blog posts.
I would be working this office hard. That's a great shot of such a nice place to be. I hope you get some rain soon we are getting drenched here with 4 inches in the last 24 hours.
Sorry to hear about your battle against the drought! I sure would love to join you for some blogging inspiration on that GORGEOUS deck of yours!
:doing a rain god dance for you:
Susan you crack me up! Come on down and though I probably could not get Antonio to join us, I could speak with an accent if that would help! Don't worry about it daydreams are fine at our place!
Gary I know it's been hot in Dallas too but in the time since I wrote this we have both been blessed with some showers!
Dale I thank you for stopping by because it's always a pleasure hearing from you. I need to get over to your place again soon!
Laura Thanks for the compliment, my wife has made it a very nice place to hang out...oh and work too! Since I wrote this post we have had some rain that has considerably cooled the area down!
Renee Come on down and bring the whole family! BTW, thanks for the rain dance, we have started to get some very nice rain fall since this post!
Hope you've had some rain since you posted this.
We have had PLENTY of liquid sunshine here.
Judi after the second hottest summer on record we have finally gotten some much needed rain and though still in a drought, seem to be improving! Thanks for stopping by!
Beautiful home office. How many months in a year is the weater good enough to use it. ?
I would love to have an office like yours.
Gita, that's a great question and since we have very HOT summers I am only able to sit outside for a couple of months in the Spring and a couple in the fall but it's always a pleasure to enjoy the tranquility!
Howdy there Russell
What is the weather up to now a days? We had a real nice Sunday yesterday, but it looked as if it could start snown at any time today. But it never did. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, my friend!
Hi Dale, I almost misseed your comment! We have had a spectacular fall so far and today is the first cold and grey day of the season...I even skipped my run because it was chilly ;-)